Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons Reviews

• 
  Hilary

  I had no idea there were so many Pete the Cat books, I suspect from the amount of them they are meant to be beginner reader books. I can see them working well for this, they are very short, bright and simple.
  
  In this story Pete loses his buttons, so we count with him as he loses them, up to four and then he leaves his shirt open. I can see the story suggested not worrying if you've lost something but I do like to see the message in childrens books that there is an environmental cost to Pete being cool about just losing his buttons, they're so easy to sew back on.
  
  As a story book I think this was too short, not interesting enough, not a good message about looking after your clothes and repairing things and why stop counting at four if this is a counting book? As a beginner reader I can see this would work and as the majority of beginner reader books in schools are absolutely awful this would be one of the better ones.
  
  Read on open library.
• 
  Cyndi

  My 4 year old grandson, Mr. H loves this book! The play he put on to go with it was fabulous, until the buttons popped off. Projectiles! Dive for cover! 😮
• 
  Laura

  "It’s all good!"
  
  Oh, how I love this coooool cat and his groovy laid-back ways!
  
  Bright blues, yellow, and red rule the pages in Pete’s world. Pulling readers in page by page with vibrant color and pure soul soothing energy and attitude. The simplicity of Pete’s life lesson and message will hit readers of all ages with a smile. Mr. Litwin is a master at sneaking right up on his readers with an “isn’t-that-the-truth” message to live by.
  
  Pete will add an extra bounce in your step, lighten the load on your shoulders, and make you smile! Truly an uplifting gem of a story and cat.
  
  
  8/9/12
  
• 
  Daniel Clausen

  I recently had the great delight of reading this book at the Omura City library to a group of remarkable young children. The amazing thing about this book is that I didn't know a thing about it before I picked it up. I was actually supposed to read another book but decided to pick this one up instead...and what did I find. I found this amazing soul called "Pete the Cat" and his remarkable outlook on life. A cat that knows how to appreciate what he has and never mourn too long for what he's lost...what a remarkable message to give young learners!
  
  Thank you, Pete! Now, I know how to appreciate all the groovy buttons in my life.
• 
  Tina

  I really liked this book. I love how it teaches math and letting things go. The belly button kind of is weird. The pictures is very cool and cute. I have read this book so many times to my twin boys. (*)
• 
  Erma Talamante

  Full review pending...
  
  Read at Barnes & Nobles' storytime...
  
  Pete is a funky little cat with a cool, laid-back attitude. Nothing gets to him as he keeps on singing!
• 
  Abigail

  That smooth-sailing feline Pete the Cat returns in this third picture-book devoted to his laid-back adventures, following upon
  Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes and
  Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes. Sporting his favorite shirt, the one with the four groovy buttons, Pete is going about his day, when one by one the buttons begin to pop off. Does Pete cry? Absolutely not! Instead he counts his (progressively fewer) buttons, and sings his song...
  
  Like its predecessors, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons features an entertaining sing-song narrative and fun, colorful illustrations. I liked the message, highlighted at the end of the book, that things don't matter - they come and go, the narrative tells us - but how we react to their loss is quite important. Recommended to all Pete the Cat fans, and to anyone looking for fun (although somewhat limited) counting books.
• 
  Jim Erekson

  As a pop phenomenon, I can see why this could take off, become kind of viral.
  
  As a concept book on simple subtraction, it works. The cat's "it's all good" attitude and standard coolness provides some subtle humor as he loses his buttons in random settings. Overall there's not much here. The return to the refrain, the song, provides a decent moment for imagining what the tune would be like and how it would sound being sung instead of read as prose.
  
  But then I see that they want me to download the song, which would provide 'the answer' for almost the only point where my imagination is being drawn on. Don't download it, or you'll lose the only opportunity for fun thinking in the book!
• 
  Joella

  I LOVE this book! It makes me happy. Basically Pete the Cat has a shirt with four groovy buttons. And he goes around and we can sing the song of
  
  "My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons."
  
  Then a button pops off. Of course Pete the Cat isn't upset about what happens. He just goes around singing about his "three" (or less) buttons. And what happens at the end...that is just perfectly amusing!
  
  This is going on a storytime list in the near future (in whatever theme I can fit it into next). Like I said, I LOVE it!
• 
  Donalyn

  I saw Eric and James perform this book at the Dublin Literacy conference and I could hear them in my head while I was reading it. Fun book with a good message.
• 
  Karen

  My almost-five-year-old son picked this book out from the library this week.
  
  My son ADORES Pete the Cat, and here is why:
  
  1. Before I even finished reading this book through for the first time, my son had taken over the story and got it pretty much spot-on.
  
  2. Pete the Cat is Cooooool. He doesn't get flustered when things go wrong, and when you are almost five and learning to be independent, things can go wrong very often.
  
  3. Pete the Cat is funny. He just is.
  
  4. Pete the Cat is a sharp, but silly, dresser. Again, something that someone who is almost five can related to.
  
  5. In this book, my son liked the colorful buttons.
  
  6. And in this book, my son liked the countdown and simple subtraction of the colorful buttons.
  
  7. Pete the Cat is adorable and instantly recognizable.
  
  Why do I love Pete the Cat, and specifically this book? See above.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Lu Benke

  Don't really need to be on the lookout for great books to use with 2's and 3's in storytimes, but somehow I keep looking for them anyhow. And this is definitely one! Even has a nod to content literacy with subtraction a major theme. But it's the bright, clear colors, repetitive language and irrepressible optimistic cat that will make the kids like this. They won't mind the cool things Pete's doing either--e.g., skateboarding and surfing. And, I can just see the satisfied look on their faces when they watch and listen as Pete realizes he still has one button left--his belly button! (Got this book as a prize book, no less!)
• 
  Shira

  Pete the cat is cool.
  He is faced with hard, emotional situations - the loss of his totally groovy buttons on his favorite shirt, one by one, until he is left with none. But does he cry? Goodness no! he stays optimistic, he stays cool. In fact, he is singing.
  
  Pete the cat is stoned.
  Well, what can you expect from a cat who was created by James Dean. Eric Litwin and him were also probably high when they wrote and illustarted this book, which explaines the groovy buttons, the fact he won’t stop singing, the fact he mistakes his bellybutton to an actual button, and those huge pupils he has on the book cover! Do we need more proof?
  
• 
  Michele

  Are you an instructor who wants to maximize your teaching and learning time with cross-curricular activities? This is a great book for students just learning about subtraction or addition. While building literacy skills, it also illustrates the subtraction process with lots of vivid colors and a really groovy cat. It includes a song for those who are musically motivated. The ending provides the surprising bonus of a valuable moral for students to ponder.
  Audience: primary
  genre: fiction -fantasy
• 
  Teri

  I am new to this series. Had never heard of these books. Thanks Caryn for the introduction and telling me about the song. So cute. You can find on youtube. I played the video/song for our 4 year old, she was captivated, then I read the book. She loved it. I heard her in another room singing the catchy tune. I love the counting and subtraction in the book as well as not crying when buttons pop off a shirt,etc. "Do we cry? Goodness no! Buttons come and buttons go." Words to live by.;) A good philosophy.;)Hope to get more of these books. Wish Kohl's would pick these for the Kohls Cares program!
• 
  Emily

  Audience: Primary-Math Theme
  Genre: Picture Book-Math-Comedy
  Book Share: Have you ever had a shirt you loved, but it kept falling apart? Well this happens to Pete, in the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. Pete doesn't get upset though, goodness no! He keeps movin' on. If you like songs, counting, and cats with buttons, you are sure to love this book. Read this book to find out what happens when Pete loses ALL his buttons.
• 
  Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023)

  2* art
  3* story
  5* narrator
  
  Too young for Squirt, really, but it comes on my library app, so I gave it a whirl anyway. Not a book I'd recommend normally, but this is one of those moments where a good reader can make absolute magic happen. Squirt and I go around the house, "My buttons, my buttons, my 4 groovy buttons!" And the message is a good one. Be thankful for what you have rather than regretting what you've lost. A perfect lesson for Squirt - and Squirt's mom too, as it turns out.
• 
  Jen

  My students are in LOVE with Pete the Cat, so know matter what story it is of his, they adore it! I played the song along with it from HarperCollins Childrens and that stays in your head for a long, long time! My 1st graders were walking out of the library singing, "My buttons! My buttons! My four groovy buttons!" :-)
• 
  Michelle Nero

  Ok, I have to admit when I first read this I tried singing Pete's song with the "old" tune and it just didn't work. But did I cry? Goodness, no! I just went to the internet and listened to Eric sing Pete's song. Buttons come and buttons go!
• 
  Shanshad Whelan

  Not bad. This was so much better than the second Pete the Cat book. It kept more to the tone of the original book with an easy refrain to remember and repeat. While it's not quite as good as the first, I think it's a fairly strong presentation.
• 
  Emilia

  This book is hilarious, but add to it the youtube promo and I just die every time I read it to my almost-two-year-old (which is a lot, btw). I love the zen-like message ("buttons come and buttons go") and the introduction of simple subtraction.
  
• 
  Urbandale Library

  I think you should read this story because I like to sing along as I read it with my Grandma and you will too! This book is about a cat losing his buttons and how he can still be happy.
  
  Submitted by Urbandale Library patron Daphne (age 5)
• 
  Eyehavenofilter

  Button, button, Pete's got buttons, Pete's looses buttons, does he get upset? Nope. He's ok with it.
  This is such a colorful book , full of fun and carefree attitude. Kids learn subtraction, and a way to deal with loss in a positive way.
  Not everything is the end of the world as we know it, and Pete has a great way of showing kids that not everything has to be taken as a crushing blow. I kinda' like that. Children learn how to deal with things from a very early age, this is a positive step in how to "not sweat the small stuff" great message!
  
• 
  BiblioBrandie

  So great! Loved the surprise ending :)
• 
  Sandy Irwin

  Pete the Cat is just too groovy! And the counting is integrated well into the story.
• 
  Nikki

  Cute book!
• 
  Sheila

  Cute episode of Pete the Cat. He's proud of his buttons but they keep popping off. I like how subtraction is taught to children. Pete the Cat is just plain cool!